I F C A (Iranian Female Composers Association)

IFCA – Iranian Female Composers Association

IFCA has formed in 2017 by bringing three female identifying Iranian composers together: Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Aida Shirazi, Anahita Abbasi.

When Niloufar Nourbakhsh decided to fully dedicate herself to a lifetime of composition, there were few mentors that she could look up to in Iran. In recent years the the circumstances have improved significantly, but it is still a challenging pathway, especially for female musicians. When Niloufar moved to the United States, she discovered that there are many active Iranian female composers working throughout the world. Niloufar eventually met Anahita Abbasi, and Aida Shirazi. The three composers began to converse and collaborate, and ultimately decided to form IFCA, a platform to support, promote, and celebrate Iranian women in music through concerts, public performances, installations, interdisciplinary collaborations, and workshops. IFCA is designed to enrich our community and create a welcoming space for Iranian female composers around the globe.

Our mission is to empower Iranian women in music and in the arts by fostering originality, honoring diversity, and strengthening equality.

IFCA aims to achieve the following goals:
– Support Iranian female composers throughout their careers.

– Inspire organizers and ensembles in Iran and around the world to commission Iranian female composers and engage with them for future collaboration.

– Discover and mentor young female composers in Iran (especially between the ages of 18 to 22) who face profound cultural and educational roadblocks in music to find their language and their way in the national and international contemporary music scene.

IFCA’s launch concert was held in Spring 2018, at New York City’s cutting edge venue, National Sawdust. This concert presented the music of Iranian female composers who are active throughout the world.

5Q Interview with Niloufar Nourbakhsh